Integrated, creative, resilient

Heritage resilience in Iceland

Today we know that Iceland is one of the youngest countries – geologically. Also, it is one of the most sparsely populated countries, and one with the highest standard of human rights in the world.

Although in origin culturally belonging to the Nordic circle, its recent strong economic growth, believed paradoxically to have been triggered by the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in 2010, and the immense subsequent influx of tourists and consequently the foreign workers, rendered it to be today a very multicultural and vibrant society of about 350.000 inhabitants.

Its cultural heritage may seem aesthetically and historically curious and revealing to the South Europeans, competing with its natural heritage grandeur and simplicity of elements.

Another part of the Icelandic appeal is the uncertainty and excitement resulting from the constant threat of disasters, mostly in a form of volcanic eruptions and related quakes, ashes, and land movements.

Such past disasters which literally created Iceland, today are considered to pose a threat to the impressive cultural heritage holdings of Iceland, and also offer a pool of experiences that contribute to the global resilience.